Anarchist statement on the New Right

Below is the text of a collective statement by a small number of local anarchist groups on the subject of the New Right, a recently formed fascist groupuscule based in Sydney which made its first public appearance at the APEC demonstrations in that city in early September.

Introduction

On Saturday, September 8, 2007, a small group of between 15-30 individuals assembled in Sydney under the banner of the New Right. They were there to attend the anti-APEC summit rally and protest, and did so while assembled in the manner of a black bloc (dressed in black uniforms and wearing masks to disguise their faces). Their propaganda proclaimed the group to be composed of ‘national anarchists’.

This statement is being issued by a number of anarchist groups in Australia and Aotearoa in order to unmask these impostors, to expose ‘national anarchism’ as being the fascist nonsense that it is, and to give notice, both to the ‘national anarchists’ and to the general public, that anarchists in Australia and Aotearoa will not tolerate fascist elements attempting to use anarchist rhetoric and imagery in order to pursue their goals. We do so on the basis of our support for the equality and freedom of all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity, and in recognition of the role of fascist ideas, parties and movements in destroying the libertarian working class cultures and movements which anarchists promote and which we depend upon for our survival.

But what, exactly, is the ‘New Right’, and what is a ‘national anarchist’?

The New Right

In Australia, the New Right is a tiny grouping on the far right, established in late 2005, largely via the efforts of a German-born, Sydney-based businessman named Welf Herfurth. Herfurth has a long history of involvement in the German neo-Nazi movement, including the NPD, and more recently the Australian far right, including organisations and projects such as the Australia First Party, Blood & Honour, One Nation and the Inverell and Sydney Forums. According to Herfurth and the New Right, “National-Anarchism represents the political embodiment of the… New Right — it is the political wing”. In other words, while the New Right provides the ‘theory’, ‘national anarchism’ is the ‘practice’.

National anarchism

‘National anarchism’ has its origins in the UK, and is largely the brainchild of Troy Southgate, another individual with a long history of involvement in the British neo-Nazi movement, including organisations such as the National Front, the International Third Position, the English Nationalist Movement and the National Revolutionary Faction. Critic Graham D. Macklin notes that “When put into its wider context… ‘national-anarchism’ appears as one of many groupuscular responses to globalization, popular antipathy towards which Southgate sought to harness by aligning [his activities]… with the resurgence of anarchism whose heroes and slogans it arrogated, and whose sophisticated critiques of global capitalist institutions and state power it absorbed…”.* In essence, ‘national anarchism’ is an attempt to use anarchist rhetoric and imagery in order to better advance the cause of reactionary, racist and fascist politics.

Our response

As anarchists, we categorically reject this. We also categorically reject any and all attempts by the New Right (and any other group with politics similar to it) to align themselves in any way, shape or form with the contemporary anarchist movement in Australia and Aotearoa. The use of such tactics by the far right, including the formation of ‘black blocs’ such as the one in Sydney, has been witnessed in Europe for a number of years, and it now appears that an attempt, however minor, to do so in Australia is now being made. (In Germany, for example, some right-wing radicals even use the “Antifaschistische Aktion” logo (a circle with a red and black flag) but adorn it with the slogan “Nationale Sozialisten” (national socialists)!)

We consider the use of such tactics to be deliberately aimed at causing confusion among the broader public with regards the aims and methods of elements of the far right, and to confuse anarchism with the pursuit of ‘white, nationalist’ politics. Such tactics are also based upon a recognition by elements of the far right of the attractive nature of anarchist rhetoric and imagery to many young people, and a desire to win some of these individuals away from genuine attempts to create true anarchy; a society without rulers — of whatever colour, and of whatever supposed nationality.

As such, we, as anarchists: wish to make our opposition to the New Right and ‘national anarchism’ known; denounce their attempts to appropriate ‘anarchist’ rhetoric, imagery and symbology for their own, racist and fascist purposes; commit ourselves to ensuring, each in our own way, that any and all confusion be eliminated in the minds of both the ‘national anarchists’ and the broader public regarding the opposition between anarchism and the antics of groups such as the New Right.

About @ndy

I live in Melbourne, Australia. I like anarchy. I don't like nazis. I enjoy eating pizza and drinking beer. I barrack for the greatest football team on Earth: Collingwood Magpies. The 2015 premiership's a cakewalk for the good old Collingwood.

49 Responses to Anarchist statement on the New Right

Who ever wrote this is an intolerant fascist… I have read the national anarchist stuff and though it may not be our anarchy… It’s far from racist or fascist… “white nationalist” perhaps but I don’t see how it can be considered racist or fascist by the definitions of these words…

Clumsy attempts by someone calling themselves ‘Anti-@ndy’ to assume a common political perspective with myself as an anarchist and in reference to a text denouncing attempts by the far right to assume an anarchist mantle are boring and stupid.

Read Macklin’s essay.

PS. “Who ever wrote this is an intolerant fascist…” What are you? Fucking 12?

Hey @ndy, back in the day this national anarchism biz would’ve sat very comfortably with me. With its anarchist imagery and anti-capitalist language mixed with a good dose of ‘fear of the other’ nationalism, I can certainly see the appeal for angry young folk looking for easy answers. What I would recommend to people embracing these ideas is to look further into your analysis of class and apply it to a macro or big picture framework. The world is a lot bigger than Australia and I’m sure that your family histories would back that up. It will certainly help you on your way to answering some of the questions that you will already have that have been left wanting by this ideology.
All the best.
gregg.

If you’ve read the ‘National Anarchist’s’ website I don’t see how you could’ve missed the nazi rhetoric, especially if you call yourself an anarchist. However, to give you the benefit of the doubt, here are a couple of things you may have missed. In one of their essays they state that they should “wear the anarchist ‘uniform’” even though they state that “If a nationalist wants to wear white pride, etc., tattoos on his body, or festoon swastikas and other symbols around his home, he should feel free to do so”. They also state things along the lines of ‘multiculturalism is a plague’ and they believe (as stated in their glossy pamphlets) in the redistribution of wealth to white people. They hide their direct racism and use anarchist imagery, ‘dress sense’(?) and the language of ‘famous’ libertarians and socialists in their propaganda, especially in public, as they think this will appeal to young people, especially students, as they say it’s important to have students’ support for a social movement, as students ‘run a mile’ from things containing swastikas. So they hide their real agenda in libertarian ‘clothes’… so ‘anti-@ndy’ it looks like it might have even worked on you… so wise up!

I don’t see how anybody that stands against authoritarianism would actually condone the state controlling what a person wears… I am White and yet if a Black person chose to wear “Black Power,” who am I to say he cannot? Is he hurting me? Of course, if he attempted to hurt me because I was White, that is when a problem would formulate.

In regards to “Multiculturalism being a plague,” if these people choose to believe so, who are we to attack them for that belief? I disagree with them and so I will tolerate their right to believe and live in their own way, I shouldn’t have to abide by the morals/values they put down in their community and I wouldn’t expect them to tolerate the morals and values in my community… What is wrong with separation that doesn’t hurt anybody? Some may claim that this separation will breed hatred… I believe only the minority of people would hate someone for being different, I thought Anarchy was meant to dispel hatred by giving everyone the space to exist in their own way…

From what I understand about National Anarchism and the New Right… They are quite different and many of the New Right articles may not fit in to National Anarchist ideology…

I think the main point of National Anarchism is “each to their own,” I refuse to dictate my person values and morals on another group… If that means I am not to be considered an Anarchist… So be it!

For starters, the anarchist movement has no right to claim ownership to any “imagery” or any other things. Anarchists are clearly attempting to maintain the established leadership in the movement. Anarchists are clearly the Nazis of the left. National Anarchism is simply are reactionary movement same as the Anarchist movement.

Anarchists are utopian socialists it are the National Anarchists. As a Marxist-Leninist Stalinist I reject anarchism and national anarchism.

The issue here is that a bunch of white power kids are attempting to deceive the public by dressing up as us, using our symbols (red/black star) and claiming that famous Anarchists, like Bakunin, Bookchin and Proudhon, are heroes of nationalism. They are using our movement to further introduce their homophobic, racist, sexist, national socialist doctrine into the community- sentiments that are completely at odds with everything anarchism stands for.

The Black/Red star, btw, has interesting roots.

During the Russian Revolution, the Red Army needed a symbol. In a meeting with a leading member of the Esperanto society, Red Army leader Trotsky noticed the green star the Esperantist was wearing. Asking what it meant, he was told that the five points symbolised the five major continents of Earth (Esperantists seek to introduce a new language that all people of the world can understand). Impressed, Trotsky decided to make the star the symbol of the Red Army, red not green, to symbolise Communist Internationalism.

It was not long before the anarchists took up this symbol also, as the red/black or simple black star, to symbolise a world without borders.

Just A Random Punk said, “They are using our movement to further introduce their homophobic, racist, sexist, national socialist doctrine into the community.”

How can you attack them for their beliefs? Are you not being just as intolerant and hateful as you claim they are? I don’t think these National Anarchists can be called National Socialists either… All evidence points to them being anti-authoritarian. The way I see it, if they want to be homophobic, racist and sexist… They can go do it elsewhere, as long as they don’t affect the people that don’t identify with their values/beliefs that is fine… If they had a place for themselves, I doubt they’d affect us anymore.

Regarding the Star, I think I’d read that before, it does reveal quite a bit of irony in this National Anarchist group, though I doubt they really care much about the symbology. In my opinion the Anarchist movement shouldn’t put as much importance in symbology either, dogma is just another step closer to totalitarianism.

“I don’t see how anybody that stands against authoritarianism would actually condone the state controlling what a person wears.”
There is a difference between having the state controlling what a person wears and having a website of supposed anarchist ideas promoting specifically the right for members to wear and display, even tattoo infamous fascist symbols such as the swastika and racial superiority slogans on their bodies.
Sure as an Anarchist, an Anti-Authoritarian you would not attempt to stop someone by force, but you must ask yourself how seriously these people take anarchism while talking swastikas and racial superiority,

“In regards to “Multiculturalism being a plague,” if these people choose to believe so, who are we to attack them for that belief?”
We are people who believe that Multiculturalism is not a plague. We are people who recognise class divisions, not racial and ethnic divisions, and we are people who are opposed to racism and xenophobia.
If someone thought multiculturalism was a plague and told their friend, it would be up to the friend to debate or agree. As this group of right wingers have organised to tell the public, it is up to members of the public such as ourselves to either agree or debate them. Personally, i think such positions are dangerous not only to individuals of non-European heritage but to solidarity and the class struggle in general.

“If a nationalist wants to wear white pride, etc., tattoos on his body, or festoon swastikas and other symbols around his home, he should feel free to do so”
You can only imagine what else he should “feel free to do” if he likes.

Liam, only too often do I see Anarchist groups that are more than willing to use violence against the nazis and other groups they disagree with. I am totally against aggressive attacks on any person, whether it be by a nazi or by an Anarchist, both are as bad.

I agree entirely, we do not believe in ethnic or racial divisions but the simple point is, the national anarchists and whatever other “wn” groups do… In the same way you may debate with a friend regarding the merits of blue flavoured jelly beans over green flavoured jelly beans and decide to “agree to disagree,” perhaps it is time we “agree to disagree” with the WNs and willingly separate?!

After a social revolution and Anarchist communities begin forming worldwide, will we really descend to the level of those overthrown and execute them? I bloody well hope not, we would let them either accept the new values and morals of society or move on to their own greener pastures… The world is a very big place, why can’t these national anarchists and the like have a commune of their own? As long as they don’t enforce their will on to us and do not use force/violence against us, what business is it of ours how national anarchists live in their own “nationalist utopia?”

You may disagree but I don’t see the merit in fighting these people ad nauseum, it seems we spend more time attacking the fash than we do attacking the system… Really, if we can beat the state, the nazi turds won’t be a problem!

Self-evidently, nobody has “actually” condoned the state controlling what a person wears.

Q. If “these people choose to believe [nonsense], who are we to attack them for that belief?”

A. Anarchists.

The “attack” is called critique, and proceeds from an understanding of what anarchism is, and what it is not.

What you “understand about National Anarchism and the New Right” is resolutely facile. The “main point” of Notional Anarchism is not “each to their own”, and anarchism is not based on your supposed refusal to impose your values on others. You are not an anarchist. You have confused ‘anarchism’ with liberalism, in a manner remarkably similar to the way in which a few minor elements of the far right mistake their outward aping of anarchists for a smart career move.

You take anarchists for suckers.

You also demonstrate an ignorance of anarchist history that is as profound as your understanding of anarchist political philosophy is shallow. Anarchists fought Fascism in Italy, Francoism in Spain, Nazism in Germany, and always have and always will fight fascism, whatever guise it takes.

Opposing racism and white racial supremacy is not equivalent to a preference for one flavour of jelly bean over another.

The world is a big place, and good little national anarchists would do well to remember it.

The world is a very big place, why can’t these national anarchists and the like have a commune of their own?
This has been addressed on this blog at length before, and elsewhere if you can be bothered googling it. It is so patently idiotic that I don’t think it’s worth spending time on. It is, however, worth spending energy on teasing Anti-@ndy for being such a total fucktard and an obvious internet shut-in.

I think this is more in tune with A@’s needs. It displays all the characteristics of his take on anarchism. Follow your dreams Anti-@ndy! You too can fight for the freedom of jellybeans and living next door to the racist commune!

Peter. I’m convinced you’re either a philosophically illiterate fascist troll or a philosophically illiterate teenager. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and go with teenager. Here’s a hint: even in the ’50s the Stalinists were the daggiest cats at the party.

Now anti-@ndy, I’m going to give you something to stew on. You’ll need to think this through and you’ll see why asking anarchists to remain silent on fascism is absurd.

Here goes!

Anarchists are not Nihilists.

Think about it for a bit. Use a few logical heuristics here. The rest of the picture paints itself.

This is the longest anarcho-enfant fatale I’ve read in a long time. Commit your movement to failing for however long you like, our politics is nothing like you describe it, your ideology, not ours, is what is preventing anarchism from being realized. Do keep the parade of fear running though, we need more good publicity like this!

Could any of these “Anarchists” (more like black clad haters) please explain why their “movement” has gotten absolutely no where?

The average person barely knows a thing about Anarchism, all they do know is that Anarchists are responsible for the violence and turmoil at protests such as G20 and APEC. The average Anarchist spends more time complaining about the Fash rather than mobilising against the cause of all their problems, the State.

You will never stop WNs and other racialists from believing in what they believe and actively espousing their beliefs, the only way to stop them would be by killing them all… Do you really want to sink to the level of tyrants such as the historical leaders of Fascism and Communism?

The sooner you realise that fighting the Fash only slows down any real action against those with real power, the sooner we will see an active and progressive movement against Capitalism and exploitation.

Traditional Anarchists on this comment board have openly stated they only believe in freedom for their chosen few, you are obviously not out to create liberty and a naturally ordered society, you are only out for selfish gain and chaos. I am an Anarchist but from what I have seen here, I never want to be involved in the Traditional Anarchist scene as those involved are against humanity, they may not condone genocide but are more than happy to attack anything that goes against their goal of chaotic society without any sense of progressive and natural values.

You guys aren’t even worth communicating with anymore, all the Anarchists I have met have been losers, stuffed on drugs, without goals and ambitions that step outside their unnatural ideals of turning the Proletariat in to mindless workers without identity.

Alright, I’m ranting because I am so angry, this is hopefully the last you’ll see of me. Antifa is against humanity!

Violence at APEC… in Sydney? Or elsewhere? ‘Coz APEC in Sydney was just as much a threat to the state as all the other trot organized marches from one point to another… and being straightedge Anarchist I’m definitely a “loser, stuffed on drugs, without goals and ambitions that step outside their unnatural ideals of turning the Proletariat into mindless workers without identity”. Do you actually know ANY Anarchist, or just people you’ve ‘met’ on the internet? I don’t know any Anarchists that think Anarchy is about chaos.

First, you a player hater. As such, there’s little point my elaborating on what I think is the situation of the contemporary anarchist movement — whether in Australia or in any other country — let alone the reasons for it. It is, in any case, a question for which flippant answers will not suffice. More specifically, it doesn’t relate to the topic of discussion, which is the oxymoronic tag of ‘national anarchism’. As a fair dinkum black-clad player, I obviously think the concept of ‘national anarchism’ is quite daft; a position which I also think is quite apparent in my attempt to trace its etymology.

Secondly, what “the average person” knows about anarchism is probably very little. In this sense — and, no doubt, many others — you are yourself very average. As for how to remedy this situation, I do what I can. In my experience, it doesn’t require a great deal of effort to dispel most of the myths surrounding anarchism, and anybody who takes the time and the effort to conduct a little serious research will soon discover this for themselves. Equally obviously, you have no idea what the average anarchist does with their time; this is probably partly why you claim that “the cause of all their problems [is] the State”.

Thirdly, I’m not interested in stopping white supremacists believing what they believe — least of all by killing them — and I understand that separating individuals from their illusions is a task best undertaken by individuals themselves (often in conjunction with the reality principle). But again, this doesn’t relate to the topic of discussion, which is the oxymoronic tag of ‘national anarchism’. In fact, it’s a mark of your immaturity that you’ve proven to be completely incapable of responding to the topic to which your commentary is presumably meant to be a response. Instead, you’ve lurched into a nonsensical discussion about the apparent necessity I have to murder someone simply because their ideas are silly. The sooner you realise how silly you are, the sooner you can engage in a serious discussion.

Finally, this is not a “comment board”, it’s a blog. Nobody, apart from a few oddball racists and the like, “have openly stated they only believe in freedom for their chosen few”. I am interested in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, but try not to indulge naturalistic fallacies.

@ndy: You think that fascism is different from capitalism? That’s quite fresh.

The New Right champions the right of self-determination for all peoples, including our own. If you want to live with Aborigines, go live with ‘em! However, don’t dare to presume that my community cannot choose who is a welcome member of the community. The American charade you speak of for the “pursuit of life, liberty and happiness” was written by the hands of the slave owning bourgeoisie and is inclusive of the existence of slavery. The “pursuit of life, liberty and happiness” has nothing to do with anarchism but capitalism.

If the Americanism you define as your own goal in life is such, then how we as National Anarchists define our own “pursuit of life, liberty and happiness” is absolutely none of your business.

In fact, if this is “oxymoronic” of National Anarchism, to choose who is one’s “tribe” (based on any set of arbitrary criteria) I for one choose those who 1) speak my language, 2) share my values, 3) are willing to defend those values, 4) respect the rights of others to have their own values in their own community. No other platitudes to 19th or 20th century dead white men as you are so fond of quoting is of my concern. We have globalization to smash. You’re a unilateral tool for the capitalist class, neo-liberalism, and an enemy of all radicals who give a damn about the future of the world we live in. You must be proud.

Anti-@ndy seems to think that our opposition to the Third Positionists has to be violent. Not so. By revealing their politics for the farce they are, we shall achieve more than clipping them around the ears. Other groups attempting to achieve the same ideological movement, like the American Vanguard, have been torn to pieces from the inside due to complete and utter ideological confusion.

“However, don’t dare to presume that my community cannot choose who is a welcome member of the community.”

But you don’t choose, do you, dickhead. Disallowing someone based on race (or language) and not their actions, you leave these decisions essentially up to chance.

I pray that you turn up to an anarchist event and declare yourselves. I’ll wear you like a fucking ugboot. There: my opposition is officially violent. Though, like Spat, I think it’s funnier to allow you to talk.

“The American charade you speak of for the “pursuit of life, liberty and happiness” was written by the hands of the slave owning bourgeoisie and is inclusive of the existence of slavery.”

I’m happy to use violence to make you cry. Hell, I won’t even punch you. If there was ever a candidate for a good dacking, I think you’re it. Or maybe a Chinese Burn, just to show you the power of other races.

Chance? There is no chance involved with what language you speak. Neither is there chance involved with one’s nationality.

Oh you silly bloody fucktard. I suppose your parents picked ‘English’ from a catalogue. I’ll put it this way; when you were shat from your mother’s birth canal, how is it you came to land in Australia? What other choices were there?

Lumpen, I take exception to you using logical thinking in your replies. It only serves to support opposing views. In future can you please make no sense and have arse-about theories from which you draw your arguments so as to facilitate ongoing discourse of a level that all can understand. Thank you.
All the best.
gregg.

VENTS: I think we both wrote our answers at the same time. The reason why I get the props is because I mentioned BANANAS’ mum’s uterus and its ability to defecate annoying children – imagine a basketball wrapped in a wet plastic bag being kicked out of a car door, and then you’ll get the picture of how he became a member of the white race.

Learn from me, young Jedi.

(And thanks for putting our name on the door the other day. I had fun, but was a bit too drunk to be coherent afterwards).

Apologies for the lateness of my reply, I was living with the aboriginals. We drank a six-pack and watched Seinfeld. They are a rowdy bunch. Be afraid.

No problem!! Solidarity, comrade – providing you only speak my language, and we look alike.

Speaking of which, I am just curious, what is the NA’s plan to stop globalisation and destroy capitalism? Class struggle for white, heterosexual men only?

“Okay, guys, we are taking it in the arse here and it’s time to fight back. This is our life we are talking about here and… oh shit, sorry, not you Tony. Nothing personal, we live next to each other and you lent me the mower that time but you know the rules, no niggers. Any other jews, queers, blacks, asians, turks, socialists, and eskimos that work here you have to leave too. Okay we’re safe now the cooties are gone, that leaves me and you Frank.”

It is called the Stalinist League not the Stalinist Party. We stp being the Communist Party of Warwick in March this year.

I kow what you mean comrade.

“Peter. I’m convinced you’re either a philosophically illiterate fascist troll or a philosophically illiterate teenager. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and go with teenager. Here’s a hint: even in the ’50s the Stalinists were the daggiest cats at the party.”

Why does every one hate me? Well at least I’m cool with my girl friends and comrades.

You are a idiot ain’t you? I don’t even go to parties or blue light discoes because the police spy on me and other comrdaes. The SLA hasn’t even had the gig yet. I just haven’t got around to it yet.

The last time I was at a party, I asked a girl to dance with me and she slap me. She called me a bloody stalinist loving brat. Andy, Darp and Fight Dem Back are behind it.

I don’t see the political utility in calling yourselves “National Anarchists”. It’s not like Anarchist symbolism is all that more palatable to Joe Public than National Socialist symbolism. If you want to join anti-immigration vegans there are plenty of Deep Ecology groups around; there is no need to create a faux-leftist ideology when the current trend is for former left-leaning groups (eg Animal Lib/Rights like PETA and ALF) to distance themselves from “progressives” altogether. The future political Zeitgeist in the Western world is Green, not Red, Black, Brown or any other narrow humanist/anthropocentric movement. If you lose some of your more extreme racialist views, you will most likely find a happy home in the Deep Ecology movement.

The last time I was at a party, I asked a girl to dance with me and she slap me. She called me a bloody stalinist loving brat. Andy, Darp and Fight Dem Back are behind it.

Peter, if we were to take an interest in you, it’s because we would be keeping an eye out for you. It might surprise you, but most of us think you’ll grow out of this and realise the rest of the left ain’t out to get you.

Just chill out. Being a teenager is for being young. Enjoy it while you still got it. No one is out to hurt you, except maybe the fascists.

And I’ll put this out to the fash. Peter, from my research, is just a teenager. Off limits m’kay? Because FDB *will* fuck your shit up if you lay a finger on him. He’s not one of us. Just a noisy young’n.

I would like to announce that I will no longer take part in political activity [including posting on slackbastard]. I have resigned as General Secretary and Chief Kommissar of the Stalinist League. I have also given up membership of the Stalinist League, Socialist Alliance, Australian Labour Party and the Australian Workers’ Union [e]ffective as of now.

I was active in politics for over five years. Five years [too] many. I must move on… for I must find myself. I must gain life experi[e]nce. At 15, I am of no age to be in politics.